Apparatus for gasification of finely-divided fuels



FUELS May 29, 1962 B. ZELLERHOFF ETAL APPARATUS FOR GASIFICATION OFFINELY-DIVIDED Filed March 6, 1959 INVENTORS. swA/aao KLAPP, 1m! azwvo2544 EEHOF.

United States Patent 3,036,906 Patented May 29, 1962 3,036,906 APPARATUSFOR GASIFICATION OF FINELY-DIVIDED FUELS Bruno Zellerhofi',Essen-Warden, and Arnold Klapp, Essen, Germany, assignors, by mesneassignments, to Koppers Company, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation ofDelaware Filed Mar. 6, 1959, Ser. No. 797,736 2 Claims. (Cl. 48-63) Thepresent invention relates to an apparatus for gasification offinely-divided fuels in suspension in oxygen and, if desired,endotherrnically reacting gasification media, and is an improvementcontinuing-in-part common subject matter of Friedrich Totzek applicationNo. 476,- 453, filed December 20, 1954, now US. Patent 2,898,204, forProcess for Production of Combustible Gases, allowed November 21, 1958,which is owned by a common assignee and successively continues commonsubject matter of the assignees Totzek application Serial No. 297,- 965,filed July 9, 1952, now US. Patent 2,920,945, and through saidapplication the common subject matter of the assignees Patents :Nos.2,702,744; 2,702,743; 2,670,- 820, and the parent Totzek applicationSerial No. 43,950, filed August 12, 1948, and now abandoned.

Both solid fuels in powdered form as well as liquid fuels in vaporousform or in atomized form are considered as fuels. Steam or carbondioxide or a mixture of both of these materials can be used asendothermically reacting media. Both pure oxygen as well asoxygen-enriched air are considered as oxygen in the scope of the presentinvention.

In such gasification apparatus it is known that a mixture of fuel andgasification media is injected through a burner-like nozzle into aburner chamber which has a reaction space which is conically widened inthe direction of flow of the mixture. This reaction space (if desiredseveral of them) discharges in a gas collecting chamber structureproviding a gas collecting space from which the produced gas isdischarged at the top and the separated gasification residue isdischarged at the bottom.

Up to now the reaction space chamber and the gas collecting spacechamber were constructed as one separate structural unit, namely theactual reaction space chamber was rigidly connected with the gascollecting space chamber and took part in the latters motion asstipulated by the expansion due to heat. This single structurearrangement was selected since it was considered that the gas tightnessof the entire apparatus would be achieved by a metal jacket enclosingall parts.

The rigid connection of the reaction space structure with gas collectingspace structure made it necessary to connect the supply lines of thereaction media to the burner nozzle with flexible passage means. Apartfrom the fact that certain operating difliculties result therefrom, theknown apparatus had the inconvenience that extensive dismantlingoperations were frequently necessary for changing or repairing thereaction space chamber structure which was subject to the greateststresses.

These diificulties are overcome by the present invention. The apparatusconforming to the present invention consists in connecting the reactionspace structure on one side rigidly with the supply lines for thereaction media and connecting the reaction space structure on the otherside with the gas collecting space structure in a gastight but otherwiseunrigid manner by an expansion joint structure, so that the gascollecting space and its structure can follow the motion stipulated byits expansion due to heat in contrast with the reaction space and itsstructure which is immovably arranged during the operation.

A section of a gasification apparatus is illustrated in the drawing bywhich the invention is explained in more detail. The illustratedapparatus is designed for gasification of finely-divided fuel but thereis no change in the basic structure when hydrocarbon oil, for example,is to be gasified instead of solid fuel. Only the construction of theburner located outside of the reaction space must be adapted to theparticular fuel.

The entire gasification apparatus consists of the socalled burner heador reaction chamber structure 1 and the gas collecting space chamberstructure 2. The burner head itself is formed by fireproof masonry 3 inwhich is located an opening 4 which is conically widened toward the gascollecting space 2 of the gas collecting chamber structure 6. Thisopening 4 is the actual reaction space in which the reaction between thefuel and gasification media takes place. A water cooling jacket 5 isprovided to regulate the temperature of the fireproof masonry 3.

The gas collecting space 2 is also surrounded by fireproof masonrychamber structure 6 which is covered by a water jacket 7. The actualburner 8 also forms part of the burner head 1. In the present case thisconsists of a worm 9 which conveys the finely-divided solid fuel in thedirection toward reaction space 4. Oxygen is supplied under a slightlyincreased pressure through the hollow shaft 10 of worm 9. A' gastightpacking consisting of the powdered fuel to be gasified is formed betweenthe hollow shaft 10 and the outer wall 11 of the worm by the specialconical structure of the mouthpiece of the burner, so that oxygen orother gases can not flow backward through the worm. By exit of theoxygen from the hollow shaft 10, the oxygen draws the fuel from theannular packing and forms a homogeneous mixture with it. This mixture isimmediately ignited on entering the reaction space 4 in which a hightemperature prevails. The endotherrnically reacting gasification mediais supplied through annular line 12 and is introduced in the reactionspace 4 in such a direction that it surrounds the central zone ofexothermic reaction between fuel and oxygen with an envelope moving inthe same direction, which especially protects the fireproof masonry 3from an excessive heat stress and also enters in reaction with theglowing ungasified fuel. The reaction space 4 is supported on a bracket13 and is moreover rigidly connected with the supply lines 8 of thereaction media. The gas collecting chamber structure for space 2 issupported, on a place not illustrated in the drawing, so that it canfollow the motions which are caused by the expansion due to heat. Inorder to achieve a gastightness between reaction space 4, on the onehand, and the gas-collecting space 2 on the other hand, there isprovided male and female expansion joint members with a stufiing boxseal 14 which permits a relative motion of the reaction space structure4 and the gas collecting space 2 structure in relation to one anotherand also stops the escape of gas. The stufiing box seal is arranged in avicinity in which no high temperatures prevail, so that a gastightoperation of this seal 14 is assured.

When several burner heads 1 of the described type are connected togas-collecting space 2, these burner heads are advantageously rigidlyconnected with one another, and the type of connection is determined bythe special form of the gas collecting space.

If an exchange of burner head 1 is necessary, the supply line 8 of thereaction media is disconnected at any optional place and then the entireburner head can be withdrawn from the structure of gas collecting space2.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for gasification of finely-divided fuels in suspension inoxygen, comprising: a burner nozzle rigidly connected with a burnerchamber structure for injection of a mixture of fuel and gasificationmedia into a reaction space in the burner chamber structure, said burnerchamber having inner tapered walls to provide a reaction space conicallywidened in the direction of flow of the mixture; and a separate gascollecting chamber structure providing a gas collecting space incommunication with said widened part of the burner chamber to receivethe gases discharged therefrom, for discharge of the produced gas at thetop and of the gasification residue separated therein at the bottom ofthe gas collecting space; characterized by, supply lines forintroduction of the reaction media to the burner nozzle and rigidlyconnected to the burner nozzle, and a gas-tight expansion jointstructure between the burner chamber structure and the gas collectingchamber structure, whereby the gas collecting chamber structure canfollow the motions stipulated by its expansion due to heat in contrastwith the rigid burner chamber structure which is immovably arrangedduring operation thereof.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and in which the expansion joint isconstituted of rnale and a female expansion joint members with astutfing box seal between the reaction chamber structure and the gascollecting chamber structure for sealing the gasification apparatus.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,793,849 Groninger Feb. 24, 1931 2,085,584 Haskell June 29, 19372,385,508 Hammond Sept. 25, 1945 2,468,318 Young et al. Apr. 26, 19492,777,813 Totzek Jan. 15, 1957 2,873,172 Leslie et al Feb. 10, 19592,924,269 Genovese Feb. 9, 1960 2,976,128 Latham et a1. Mar. 21, 1961

1. APPARATUS FOR GASIFICATION OF FINELY-DIVIDED FUELS IN SUSPENSION INOXYGEN, COMPRISING: A BURNER NOZZLE RIGIDLY CONNECTD WITH A BURNERCHAMBER STRUCTURE FOR INJECTION OF A MIXTURE OF FUEL AND GASIFICATIONMEDIA INTO A REACTION SPACE IN THE BURNER CHAMBER STRUCTURE, SAID BURNERCHAMBER HAVING INNER TAPERED WALLS TO PROVIDE A REACTION SPACE CONICALLYWIDENED IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF THE MIXTURE; AND A SEPARATE GASCOLLECTING CHAMBER STRUCTURE PROVIDING A GAS COLLECTING SPACE INCOMMUNICATION WITH SAID WIDENED PART OF THE BURNER CHAMBER TO RECEIVETHE GASES DISSCHARGED THEREFROM, FOR DISCHARGE OF THE PRODUCED GAS ATTHE TOP AND OF THE GASIFICATION REDISUE SEPARATED THEREIN AT THE BOTTOMOF THE GAS COLLECTING SPACE; CHARACTERIZED BY SUPPLY LINES FORINTRODUCTION OF THE REACTION MEDIA TO THE BURNER NOZZLE AND RIGIDLYCONNECTED TO THE BURNER NOZZLE, AND A GAS-TIGHT EXPANSION JOINTSTRUCTURE BETWEEN THE BURNER CHAMBER STRUCTURE AND THE GAS COLLECTINGCHAMBER STRUCTURE, WHEREBY THE GAS COLLECTING CHAMBER STRUCTURE CANFOLLOW THE MOTIONS STIPULATED BY ITS EXPANSION DUE TO HEAT IN CONTRASTWITH THE RIGID BURNER CHAMBER STRUCTURE WHICH IS IMMOVABLY ARRANGEDDURING OPERATION THEREOF,